Author: fortraders

Mykonos is one of the world’s hottest vacation destinations, drawing more than two million visitors a year. Since the end of Greece’s decade-long financial crisis in 2018, investors have come to the island in droves, eager to cash in on a gold mine of development for luxury properties, sprawling hotels and high-wattage nightclubs. However, a darker side of the island’s recovery has recently come to light with the attack on a state archaeologist who had been documenting building violations. The Greek government has responded with a swift crackdown, suspending most new building permits and ordering the closure of some beach clubs. Despite the controversy, Mykonos remains a popular destination for tourists from around the world, drawn to its Instagram glamour and cultural heritage.

On Sunday, the National Disaster Prevention Center of Mexico raised the alert level for the Popocatépetl volcano in Central Mexico to Phase 3, just shy of an evacuation order. The volcano has been spewing ash and smoke, prompting officials to close schools and public parks, and to prepare for the possibility of evacuations. The increased activity also temporarily shut down Mexico City’s two main airports.

Residents living near the volcano are urged to avoid going outdoors as much as possible and to wear a face mask or cover their nose and mouth with a handkerchief if they do. In areas where ash is accumulating, the center said residents should cover water containers to avoid contamination, and sweep the ash and collect it in bags.

The volcano alert level was raised a day after Popocatépetl caused ash to fall from the sky, prompting the temporary closure of the two main airports serving Mexico City. Volcanic ash is particularly dangerous to aircraft, according to the U.S.G.S. Falling ash can interfere with plane radio transmission and navigation systems, it can block fuel nozzles and it can create dangerous conditions on runways that can lead to braking issues.

At the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, President Biden and his allies announced new arms packages for Ukraine and discussed strategy with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite underlying tensions between the major powers, the leaders of the major industrial democracies lined up their approach to China in a way that Beijing clearly saw as potentially threatening. Biden predicted a coming “thaw” in relations with Beijing, as both sides move beyond recent incidents that have fueled what seems like a descent toward confrontation.

The consensus reached in Hiroshima came after what Michael J. Green, a former top Asia adviser to President George W. Bush, called “a string of diplomatic wins for the U.S. and losses for China.” The communiqué pressed China on the usual stress points, while seeking to reassure Beijing that they were not seeking confrontation. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, talks of “building a high fence around a small yard” to describe the protection of key technologies that could bolster China’s rapid military buildup.

China pushed back hard, accusing the G7 of “obstructing international peace” and “vilifying and attacking China.” Now the question is whether, quietly, Mr. Biden can rebuild a relationship with Mr. Xi that seemed to be turning around last fall, after their first face-to-face meeting. Administration officials hope to return to a more regular dialogue with China, perhaps sending Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to China, and eventually rescheduling a trip to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. There is talk of a meeting between Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi in the fall.

The battle for Bakhmut, a small city in eastern Ukraine, has been raging for 10 months. It has become the focal point of the Russia-Ukraine War, with both sides determined to fight to the end. The city has been shelled to oblivion, and the pre-war population of 70,000 has dwindled to a few thousand. Despite the Ukrainian army’s successes elsewhere, the Russians and their Wagner mercenary forces never stopped attacking Bakhmut. The city has become a symbol of pride and defiance for the Ukrainian people, and a rallying cry of “Bakhmut Holds” has emerged. The battle for Bakhmut has been compared to Verdun in 1916, and the horrors of the war have been felt by all. Now, the Russians patrol the city, and the war continues to inch towards new places on the map. The strategic significance of Bakhmut remains in question, as the world awaits another bloody finale.